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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL taking over Mother’s Day

193 replies

Pinkhat123 · 25/03/2025 19:07

This Is my first year as a mom of 3 and I was quite looking forward to spending some time with my DH and DC on Mother’s Day and do something special together like go for a meal, go for a nature walk etc (nothing OTT). I was also looking forward to my first lie in (realistically til 8am/9am) and a cup of tea in bed which I was promised.

However my DH just updated me that he is going to invite his mum and step dad for lunch out on Mother’s Day. Whilst I usually have no issue with this I can’t help but feel sad that “my” day is going to be completely over shadowed by the MIL and she it will be all about grandmothers! Therefore I won’t get a simple lie in (which I so desperately need) or a cup of tea as the MIL will arrive at 9/10am after a 3hr journey. She will make it all
about her own while I’m running around feeding them
and entertaining them etc. I feel she already had her time with her DC, this is my time now.

I’ll add last year she made a complete drama that she didn’t receive any gifts on Mother’s Day from her grandchildren or DC…. At 1pm the delivery man arrived with a bunch of flowers we had already planned for her.

And another note, my eldest had surgery today. (MIL is never is part of any childcare plan, she comes to our house whenever it suits her like every 2-3 months.) And on the phone MIL wants to come now, i blurted out “no thanks I need to keep DS infection free and away from people”. She looked at me in such an evil way like he’s her child she will do what she wants.

Before people ask- yes I know I can just ask my DH to cancel or not invite her but this will cause a load of agro and im just seeking an opinion as to whether I should stick to my guns-
its Mother’s Day not grandmothers day! DH thinks I’m being unreasonable.

AIBU- to be craving just a little me time and time alone with my own 3 children for the first time.

YABU- you should suck it up and it’s a day for her too.

OP posts:
Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 22:33

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 25/03/2025 22:15

Yes, OK.

So the point of this post is, the OP (who has three young children including a baby and is therefore deep in the trenches of motherhood at the moment) was looking forward to what sounds like the absolute bare minimum of special treatment on Mother's Day, and her husband has unilaterally decided that what she would actually like to do on Mother's Day is host his mother for him. (Including doing all the hard work, because he's strategically incompetent and "can only cook dippy eggs", apparently.)

When does she get to be worthy of respect and admiration for all she does for their family? When does she get to be celebrated?

She says in her post that she doesn't even think she'll get her lie in and cup of tea because her mother in law won't be happy with arriving for lunch at actual lunchtime, preferring to set off at 6am so she can monopolise their entire day rather than just the best part of it.

@MissScarletInTheBallroom , Bloody useless husbands! 🙄
Husband needs a good talking to. Just saying it’s not his mother’s fault. I would however caveat that by saying as a MIL / nanny I do always ALWAYS defer to my beautiful, loving, gorgeous, fabulous, amazing, wonderful daughter in laws. 😊

cestlavielife · 25/03/2025 22:38

Time dh learns to do more than dippy eggs.

It is fine let him organize the day
No need fir you to make tea or anything
and in future days have him take on more responsibility not just once a year

Addicted2Sugar · 25/03/2025 22:38

I know I will be in the minority here but I think some men are so torn for Mother's Day. They have their own Mother who rightly wants to spend time with him, he also wants to honour and spoil his partner and Mother of his children.

I had to go back and reread your post that you are not a first time mother looking forward to her big day (and soon to realise they are often a bit of an anticlimax).

Even the first Mother's Day after my first child I expected to share it with my Mum and MIL. And I count my blessings that all these years later they are still alive and kind of kicking to celebrate Mother's Day with.

Stay in bed, have your cuppa, cards and gifts in your bed and then go down when you are ready to. You are going to a restaurant so it's not like your non cooking husband is having to cook for his parents.

Enjoy the day.

Redmat · 25/03/2025 22:43

Whyisitsobloodycold · 25/03/2025 21:37

Why, as a mother of 3 young children, should I be expected to share Mothers Day with my MIL? What current daily sacrifices is my MIL making to care for my DH? Are you also expecting that your DIL has to share the day with you? Would she want to?

Buying a gift & popping in for a while is one thing, but why do I need to be taking her out for lunch on Mother’s Day? She has had plenty of her own.

It seems people have different ideas of mother's day. When I had three very young children I often hosted both my mother and mother in law for lunch. I didn't realise that the day was totally about me.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 25/03/2025 22:46

I think that part of the reason this is a big deal to the OP is that her husband is so useless generally that just having one day in the year where she can get a lie in and a cup of tea in bed is really important.

I don't care all that much about Mother's Day. If my husband remembers, which he might not, he'll buy a small bunch of flowers and get DS to give them to me.

But because he pulls his weight at home and shows me that he appreciates me all year round, I don't attach so much important to one day.

Perhaps the answer here is for the OP's husband to learn to cook basic meals, bring her a cup of tea every morning and let her have a lie in every weekend. And then Mother's Day wouldn't be such a big deal.

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 22:46

Commonsenseisnotsocommon · 25/03/2025 21:17

Your mil sounds just as selfish as the one op has. Why they can't just be grateful for the many years they had it all about them and graciously step back a little to allow their ds to focus on their dil is a mystery. They should be speaking to their ds and reassuring them that they understand, will see them at another time near the day and reminding them that they need to make a fuss of their dil on the day itself for all they do. I feel for you and hope you have a lovely day regardless x

, one day you will understand that being mum never ever ends.
I am absolutely blessed with beautiful women as my daughter in laws. We all respect each other for our differences and for our many similarities. As a family we love to spend time together. The longer I spend on this forum the more grateful I am for my beautiful; very much loved, wonderful and so special daughter in laws who mean the very word to me.

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/03/2025 22:51

"oh nice! Good luck!"

"What?"

"I am the mother of your three children. I am having a day off. I am not getting out of bed until half an hour before we leave for lunch, and will not be lifting a finger all day sunshine!!"

Thisisittheapocalypse · 25/03/2025 23:05

Honestly? I would let him entertain his mother and tell him you're having the day off for Mother's Day. Perhaps your children and DH can send you to the spa for the day.

I certainly wouldn't be doing all the work to host and entertain his mother. Or be watching the children to facilitate it. He can do it.

CallMeFlo · 25/03/2025 23:05

I dont think my Mum has spent Mothers Day with my brother since his eldest was born

He does however see her as close to the day as possible. This year he & I and his younger daughter have a table booked for Monday for lunch. I'm working Sunday & hell be spending it with his wife & children.

It's a compromise that's worked well for 20 years now. My SIL gets MD & Mum gets it the day before or after

My Mum deserves to celebrate it with her children just as much as my SIL does

nomas · 25/03/2025 23:06

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 22:09

@MissScarletInTheBallroom , of my gosh! Did I suggest that? That very definitely was not my intention. We are all mothers, we are all part of the ‘mother’. We are all valuable and worthy of respect and admiration. We are equal. 🙏🏻

Did you even read the OP? It’s the MIL being over bearing and DH pandering to her. OP hasn’t done anything wrong.

You really think the OP should be running around after MIL getting her drinks and food?

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 23:11

LePetitMaman · 25/03/2025 22:25

No one's suggesting the mil isn't a mother anymore FFS.

She's had years of being the "active parent mode" mother. Had her little children make her paper daffodils and felt like it's her special day.

Now OP has to sit in the wings, so MIL, who's "kid" is now 40 odd can make her self- importance felt. She's a grandmother now, with a new first generation of mothers in the family. But it's still about her. She's the priority. She's a selfish old bag, frankly.

@LePetitMaman , I beg to differ. I think it’s incredibly selfish and self absorbed to believe that you are the only mother that matters wherever in the chronological order of things you are. I’m so grateful my boys married decent humans.

saraclara · 25/03/2025 23:14

nomas · 25/03/2025 23:06

Did you even read the OP? It’s the MIL being over bearing and DH pandering to her. OP hasn’t done anything wrong.

You really think the OP should be running around after MIL getting her drinks and food?

However my DH just updated me that he is going to invite his mum and step dad for lunch out on Mother’s Day

It was OP 's HUSBAND who initiated this plan. Not his mother. And he's arranged lunch out, so it's not OP who has to feed and water his parents.

LePetitMaman · 25/03/2025 23:16

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 23:11

@LePetitMaman , I beg to differ. I think it’s incredibly selfish and self absorbed to believe that you are the only mother that matters wherever in the chronological order of things you are. I’m so grateful my boys married decent humans.

I'll try it for the second time.

It's not about being the only mother.

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 23:27

nomas · 25/03/2025 23:06

Did you even read the OP? It’s the MIL being over bearing and DH pandering to her. OP hasn’t done anything wrong.

You really think the OP should be running around after MIL getting her drinks and food?

@nonas , I do not!
Im not at all sure where you got that impression. My point is that we all mothers are one, part of a whole. Our watch is never finished, you will see but not today.

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/03/2025 23:41

Icanthinkformyselfthanks · 25/03/2025 23:27

@nonas , I do not!
Im not at all sure where you got that impression. My point is that we all mothers are one, part of a whole. Our watch is never finished, you will see but not today.

That is very patronising and as the mother of adult children, I disagree. Women becoming mothers does not make us a gestalt entity!

DIL are not in charge of mothers day, and if they do take over and only see their own family then its on the sons for not pushing back, not on the DIL.

I cant help wondering if the way you are on here communicates to your sons "Well we have to see my mum on the same, otherwise you know what she will be like......" which of course you will deny but worth thinking about.

LePetitMaman · 25/03/2025 23:46

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/03/2025 23:41

That is very patronising and as the mother of adult children, I disagree. Women becoming mothers does not make us a gestalt entity!

DIL are not in charge of mothers day, and if they do take over and only see their own family then its on the sons for not pushing back, not on the DIL.

I cant help wondering if the way you are on here communicates to your sons "Well we have to see my mum on the same, otherwise you know what she will be like......" which of course you will deny but worth thinking about.

Spot on

Squarestones · 25/03/2025 23:48

saraclara · 25/03/2025 22:15

So we've had "it's mother's day not grandmother's day" and now "she's had her time".

Classic Mumsnet.

Give it ten or twenty years (depending on the age of your kids now) and see how you feel about those MN tropes then.

I adore my adult kids and my grandkids,, and if anything I worry about my DDs more now, then I did back then.
I don't expect to be prioritised on Mother's Day at all, but jeeze, those phrases are so dismissive of mothers who have the effrontery to grow older.

Edited

My children are still young and I agree with this totally.

The attitude of 'old women have had their time, now it's mine' is so sad and strange to me. I still want to demonstrate to my mum that I love her, if anything having kids makes me more grateful and understanding of what she did for me and my siblings. My DH feels same about his mum. So we find ways to be together if possible, to make the day nice for all of us. If mum is away or at my siblings I'm not going to ignore her or not send a card cos "she's had her time".

To be fair I wouldn't like it if DH made plans without discussing. But the idea I'm entitled to special treatment and they are not because they are older? Absolutely not

LePetitMaman · 25/03/2025 23:57

Squarestones · 25/03/2025 23:48

My children are still young and I agree with this totally.

The attitude of 'old women have had their time, now it's mine' is so sad and strange to me. I still want to demonstrate to my mum that I love her, if anything having kids makes me more grateful and understanding of what she did for me and my siblings. My DH feels same about his mum. So we find ways to be together if possible, to make the day nice for all of us. If mum is away or at my siblings I'm not going to ignore her or not send a card cos "she's had her time".

To be fair I wouldn't like it if DH made plans without discussing. But the idea I'm entitled to special treatment and they are not because they are older? Absolutely not

You're really missing the point.

It's about saying,

  1. I have no kids yet, so I will celebrate my mother on mother's day.

  2. Now I have children, so I am a mother too. I deserve to be celebrated and I am now treated.

  3. Now my child has children, so she is a mother too. However, this doesn't matter, I'm still their mother, so mother's day continues to be about me being treated.

Squarestones · 25/03/2025 23:59

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 25/03/2025 22:46

I think that part of the reason this is a big deal to the OP is that her husband is so useless generally that just having one day in the year where she can get a lie in and a cup of tea in bed is really important.

I don't care all that much about Mother's Day. If my husband remembers, which he might not, he'll buy a small bunch of flowers and get DS to give them to me.

But because he pulls his weight at home and shows me that he appreciates me all year round, I don't attach so much important to one day.

Perhaps the answer here is for the OP's husband to learn to cook basic meals, bring her a cup of tea every morning and let her have a lie in every weekend. And then Mother's Day wouldn't be such a big deal.

Agree with this as well! I see it as a nice excuse for.some special food or a bunch of flowers, or to force them to watch a film/play a game of my choosing. Love a card from kids, all that stuff. But in no way feel I have to make the whole day about only me, possibly because I feel appreciated and supported all the year.

saraclara · 26/03/2025 00:05

LePetitMaman · 25/03/2025 23:57

You're really missing the point.

It's about saying,

  1. I have no kids yet, so I will celebrate my mother on mother's day.

  2. Now I have children, so I am a mother too. I deserve to be celebrated and I am now treated.

  3. Now my child has children, so she is a mother too. However, this doesn't matter, I'm still their mother, so mother's day continues to be about me being treated.

No.

I don't demand that mother's day is about me. But my DDs are kind enough to find time for me on MD as well as the one who's also a mother, having her special time.

So far it's worked (led by them, not me) that my DD is celebrated by her husband and kids in the morning, and then at some point later on the day, I get a visit and cards etc from both DDs and the grandkids.

Distance permitting, there's space for all the family mothers to have some special time.

LePetitMaman · 26/03/2025 00:06

saraclara · 26/03/2025 00:05

No.

I don't demand that mother's day is about me. But my DDs are kind enough to find time for me on MD as well as the one who's also a mother, having her special time.

So far it's worked (led by them, not me) that my DD is celebrated by her husband and kids in the morning, and then at some point later on the day, I get a visit and cards etc from both DDs and the grandkids.

Distance permitting, there's space for all the family mothers to have some special time.

Edited

Well duh?

That's a totally different situation to what OP is talking about.

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 26/03/2025 00:09

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 25/03/2025 22:15

Yes, OK.

So the point of this post is, the OP (who has three young children including a baby and is therefore deep in the trenches of motherhood at the moment) was looking forward to what sounds like the absolute bare minimum of special treatment on Mother's Day, and her husband has unilaterally decided that what she would actually like to do on Mother's Day is host his mother for him. (Including doing all the hard work, because he's strategically incompetent and "can only cook dippy eggs", apparently.)

When does she get to be worthy of respect and admiration for all she does for their family? When does she get to be celebrated?

She says in her post that she doesn't even think she'll get her lie in and cup of tea because her mother in law won't be happy with arriving for lunch at actual lunchtime, preferring to set off at 6am so she can monopolise their entire day rather than just the best part of it.

You're right but the problem is the sheer number of posters (including OP herself, I think) who turned this into a 'me vs MIL' thing.

It's actually her DH's responsibility to give it some thought and make sure his mother and the mother of his children (and HER mother) all have a nice day. But he's been lazy and OP hasn't even bothered to say anything, and the deeper resentments about the state of their relationship spilled out and suddenly two women are pitted against each other.

The MIL probably has no clue she's done anything wrong and is just going along with what her son suggested.

saraclara · 26/03/2025 00:14

LePetitMaman · 26/03/2025 00:06

Well duh?

That's a totally different situation to what OP is talking about.

I know. I'm addressing the side issue that's been brought up in this thread.

The point in the OP is that the OP 's husband has given her no thought at all and arranged something for his mum without discussing it with his wife first. And early in the thread I responded to that, saying that he was well out of order.

The conversation has, however, moved on. As threads do.

ETA and yes, this: The MIL probably has no clue she's done anything wrong and is just going along with what her son suggested.

BigHeadBertha · 26/03/2025 00:54

I do not think you're being unreasonable, first of all.

I see at least two separate issues here, though. First and most worrisome is that IMO the two of you should always be making plans together and agreeing on them before allowing anyone else to be brought into it. Instead, if I understood correctly, your husband promised you one thing, then changed the plans to include and focus on his mother instead, without your agreement. There was also the issue about the ill child that you apparently weren't consulted about by him first. That's a big problem. Or it would be to me. It should be the two of you always at the center, not him making unilateral decisions or opening the door to include his mother in those discussions.

He is also setting you and his mother up as opponents for his affection. (And careful there. I really think some spouses at some level like being fought over, even though it does cause them so much strife and chaos at the same time).

As far as the second issue, who gets to be special on Mother's Day. Well, first, there's nothing particularly sacred about that calendar date. And as you say, you weren't even planning to celebrate on that date anyway. Regardless, there is plenty of room for both you and his mother to have your special time and no need to compete for it. You don't have to divide up the day, either. One weekend day is hers and the other is yours or whatever.

I would first insist that he agree that from now on, the two of you discuss things and come to a mutually agreeable solution, before his mother or anyone else is included, as a firm standing rule of your marriage. And he also needs to stick by that agreement, not go changing it later, whether on his or with his mother involved. If he refuses, then marriage counseling pronto because that is just not going to work. Fortunately, you don't seem willing to just put your head down and submit to such poor treatment.

Then, as far as Mother's Day, it sounds like his mother is competing with you, instead of acting like the older and wiser person and saying, "You kids have your special day. I'll see you next weekend." And her demanding gifts, ugh. Many of us older people don't like our grown kids to spend their money on us. She doesn't sound particularly evolved. It's unfortunate that she's not more mature and/or doesn't remember what it was like to be a young mother. I think she should be supporting your family as a family elder, not competing and making demands.

But one great way to take the air out of her sails on that game imo is to just not compete back with her. That is not the same as you giving in and her "winning" the competition. It means you graciously insist that she have her Mother's Day celebration on Saturday and then your Mother's Day with your husband and kids is the next Saturday, or whatever. At the root of the competition is the fear of being forgotten or replaced.

When someone is in that tug-of-war mode, generously giving her what she wants might make her stop feeling like the two of you are fighting over your husband/her son's affection. And then, possibly, she'll relax and she'll stop. After all, there's no reason to jealously, defensively, fight to get something that is freely given.

Also, divide up that labor! It's not automatically your job to do everything when you have company. What he doesn't know how to do, he can learn the same as the rest of us had to do. Don't let him get away with acting helpless. He is not a child. Or he can find a way around doing the work himself, like getting takeout food and/or hiring a housecleaner. What would he do if he was single?

If this is a recurring problem, I highly recommend marriage counseling. A few sessions could probably straighten it out. Good luck.

nomas · 26/03/2025 02:55

saraclara · 25/03/2025 23:14

However my DH just updated me that he is going to invite his mum and step dad for lunch out on Mother’s Day

It was OP 's HUSBAND who initiated this plan. Not his mother. And he's arranged lunch out, so it's not OP who has to feed and water his parents.

Edited

Yes, he did initiate the plan and he needs to be the one to get out of it. But OP has also described some awful behaviour by the MIL as well.

And OP says ‘She will make it all about her own while I’m running around feeding them and entertaining them etc’. So there are expectations for more food. Could be at 9am when MIL arrives or after lunch.